It won't be long before Spider-Man: Miles Morales brings a new superhero to New York City. While the upcoming game will be the first time players get to control a super-powered version of the character, Miles Morales was actually part of the story of Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man. So what happened to Miles in the last game?
[Warning: Spoilers for Marvel's Spider-Man]
Insomniac kicked off a new Spider-Man video game franchise in 2018 with the well received Marvel's Spider-Man. The game starred a version of Peter Parker who'd been in the superhero game for over eight years, and who had recently begun working with scientist Dr. Otto Octavius. The game featured several well known secondary characters from Spider-Man canon, including Aunt May, Mary Jane Watson, J. Jonah Jameson, and Miles Morales. Although the game was initially well-received, it has faced recent backlash over Insomniac's decision to recast the face model for Peter Parker.
In Marvel's Spider-Man, Miles Morales is introduced as the son of Jefferson Davis, a police officer who helped Spider-Man investigate and apprehend a group of Inner Demon criminal members. Mayor Osborn holds a ceremony to award Jefferson Davis a medal for his heroics, a ceremony attended by Miles and his mother Rio, as well as Peter Parker and Mary Jane. The ceremony is attacked by Inner Demons, knocking Peter unconscious and killing Jefferson. Players control Miles as he searches through the rubble looking for survivors while also avoiding Inner Demon members who are looking to kill stragglers.
How Did Miles Morales Get His Powers?
After the death of Miles's father, Peter attempts to help Miles find purpose in his life and arranges for him to volunteer at F.E.A.S.T, a homeless shelter where Aunt May works. There, Miles becomes increasingly tangled up in Spider-Man's efforts to save the city from various villains terrorizing the city, at one point even having to outmaneuver the villain Rhino in order to retrieve desperately needed medicine for the plague-affected shelter. Miles's life is forever changed, however, when he is bit by a genetically modified spider. The spider had been a part of experiments at Oscorp and had stowed away on Mary Jane's jacket when she was investigating a secret lab.
The story of Marvel's Spider-Man ends with Miles revealing his new abilities to Peter Parker, without knowing Peter's alter-ego. Peter in turn reveals his own abilities, and main campaign ends on that dramatic moment. But further cut scenes in The City That Never Sleeps DLC reveal that Peter begins training Miles both in how to practically use his powers and how to be responsible with them. When Spider-Man: Miles Morales begins, a year will have passed since the ending of Marvel's Spider-Man. Teasers for the game have confirmed that Miles is already involved in crime-fighting by the time the game opens, and that he'll have a rematch with a foe from Marvel's Spider-Man - only this time, Miles will be fully powered up to take on the supervillain.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be available on PS4 and PS5 on November 12, 2020.